Price hike prompts KSRTC to focus on fuel efficiency

At a time when the State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs) are facing a financial crisis due to steep rise in diesel prices, KSRTC is making efforts to increase fuel efficiency of its buses.Christin Mathew Philip | TNN | June 14, 2018, 08:59 IST

In 2017-18, KSRTC managed to save more than 3 lakh litres of diesel compared to 99,373 litres in 2016-17. The increased mileage of KSRTC buses has also resulted in savings of Rs 59.73 lakh and Rs 1.68 crore in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively.

In times of crisis, making every drop count is a wise survival trick that KSRTC has adopted. Instead of waiting for the government to bail it out of the financial mess, it has devised a strategy by training drivers on ways to maximise fuel efficiency and rewarding them for their contribution. That it’s reaping the benefits — saving over 3 lakh litres of diesel in 2017-18 and increasing mileage of buses—is a lesson for other ailing road transport corporations hit hard by steep rise in diesel prices. Self-help is often the best help.TimesView

KSRTC officials said fuel efficiency has improved after they trained drivers in coordination with the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA). The number of trained drivers increased from 978 in 2016-17 to 4,199 in 2017-18.

“We’ve installed fuel efficiency and improvement simulators at all depots. Along with PCRA, we’re also training drivers to ensure better kilometre per litre (kmpl) efficiency. This has created awareness among drivers,” said an official.

KSRTC requires 610 kilo litres of high-speed diesel every day. “We’re also offering additional incentives and certificates to five drivers from each depot who achieve higher kmpl every month. It’s important to encourage staff to increase fuel economy when there’s a record increase in fuel price. Every drop saved will improve the corporation’s overall performance,” the official said.

The average mileage of an AC bus is 3.6kmpl compared to 5.5kmpl of non-AC buses. “Several factors like route, load and type of vehicle determine mileage of a bus. We compare the mileage of these buses to previous years and increase the benchmark. We identify drivers who require improvement in fuel efficiency and train them,” the official added.

KSRTC officials said divisions like Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru and Davanagere showed improvement in kmpl in 2017-18. Preventing rash driving, unnecessary braking, proper maintenance of vehicles and switching off the engine at signals or traffic are some ways to improve fuel efficiency.

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